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What's Your Guilty Pleasure?

I've been putting the finishing touches on a novella best described as guilty pleasure. It has all the elements: a darkly handsome rich guy, an innocent young woman, a bitchy, sexpot gossip of a PTO prez, and even a literal cliff-hanger. I had a ball writing it, countering the romantic adventure with touches of humor and a few unsubtle nods to a favorite classic book.

As with popcorn, I wouldn't wouldn't want to live on a diet that contained nothing else but fluffy deliciousness, but when my brain needs a break and I want to cheer the heroes and boo the villains (even Snidely Whiplash villains) with the crowd, there's nothing like a guilty pleasure. I love it in a book like Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones' Diary, Seth Greenland's Shining City, or Max Brooks' World War Z, in TV shows like the much-lamented Firefly, 30 Rock, and Dexter. And there's also fun-a-plenty in movies such as Love Actually (do I sense a British romance theme here), Shaun of the Dead (and a zombie there, too), and the recently-released Star Trek. (I almost hesitate to mention my taste in comedies, from Monty Python and the Holy Grail to the impolitic but hysterical Undercover Brother.)

So when you're not reading Shakespeare (one of the guilty pleasures of his time), writing masterworks, and saving the planet, which are your favorite guilty indulgences?

Comments

Define "guilty pleasure." Because it sounds to me that everything you mentioned is stuff you love but other people try to make you feel guilty for loving it. If it brings you pleasure, you shouldn't feel guilty (well, unless it's illegal, that is).

On the other hand, I'd love to be a Shakespeare. You know, the writer all his peers considered a hack, but his works are still read centuries after the world has forgotten his stuck-up peers. . .

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